(1) Field of the Invention
Previous centrifuges for separating the components of blood are known in which the centrifuge bowl is reusable, and is provided with relatively complex channeling or grooves, and fluid connections, making the device expensive and difficult to clean and sterilize for each use.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The present invention provides an improved centrifuge bowl and container assembly for use with blood cell separators of the type shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,489,145. In this prior arrangement a solid centrifuge element was used, having appropriate channels cast or machined therein, and did not contemplate reusable bags. Bag structures not requiring channeled support elements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,748,101 and 4,007,871. However, such arrangements are not as efficient or economically manufactured as the subject invention. None of this art or other known prior art provides a centrifuge assembly comprising a solid reusable rigid center element arranged to provide a conformed channel for a disposable tube of semirigid material, having fluid connections to appropriate ends thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,894 also discloses a centrifuge container which can be used for two-stage platelet separation, but it has been found that the present invention provides a much higher yield.
A co-pending application, Ser. No. 839,156, (IBM Docket No. EN977007) discloses and claims a centrifuge assembly including a container having a circular portion and a spiral portion, but which does not correspond to the detailed geometry of the present invention as described and claimed herein.